Another Box, Another Body
by luluhrh
Summary: ...or We Need a Better Screening Process. Mal's crew needs money, so they take on a passenger. However, Mal's got a weird feeling off this guy... and the body-sized chest he brought along. Their luck can't be that bad... right? Rated T for Jayne being in the same room as a woman. Unspecified apocalyptic event occurred in the past. Enjoy! Love ya! lulu


**So... I've noticed a rather large shortage of B/A, aka Bangel, aka Buffy/Angel, fics on this site. I have decided to rectify that. Better yet, I'm rectifying it AND adding to the Firefly fic population! *is proud of self***

 ***barely dodges crossbow bolt***

 **Okay, seriously? This is getting old. Stop shooting/throwing/chucking things at m-**

 ***is grazed by** ** _Serenity_** *****

 **HOLY fuCKING O_O... WTF guys.**

 **Anyway... Disclaimer: not Joss Whedon, guys. Neither of these beautiful stories are mine.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Oh, by the way... the Chinese translations are most likely not correct. Google Translate is notoriously unreliable. Don't blame me if I'm wrong! However, you are free to correct me if you so desire.**

* * *

This was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea.

Mal hadn't wanted to pick up more passengers. He had enough going on dealing with the crew he had as it was. With the doc being a smart ass, Wash following his lead, and Jayne just being a regular old ass, he had plenty of arguments to break up. Kaylee always needed new parts to fix up the _g_ _āisǐ_ engine, Zoe was... well, Zoe was good, but River was decidedly not. Add in Inara's decision to leave, and the good Captain was swamped by issues.

Mal could not, however, deny that a little cash would be appreciated. They needed food supplies, after all, and a surefire way to get _x_ _iànjīn_ was to let Kaylee charm a few passengers into choosing _Serenity_ as their mode of transport.

Still, he would not have chosen someone like the dark-haired man perched on the stairs not twenty paces from where Mal was standing as one of said passengers. Or, rather, as the _only_ passenger.

Kaylee had insisted that no one else had listened to her, that this brooding stranger was the only one who agreed to pay for passage on the Firefly class transport, and Mal believed her. The only question was why the odd man had made that decision. He didn't look to be the type who listened to people, 'specially not the small ones like Kaylee.

The man was had the _q_ _ián_ , though. Mal would have to be an idiot to say no to the generous offer the man (Liam Angelus, he said his name was) had put forward. It was obvious that Mr. Angelus wanted to get the hell out of dodge, and fast. That was certainly something the crew and their captain could relate to.

But it begged the question... why? Why was Liam Angelus so desperate to leave Persephone?

Mal was fairly certain he didn't want to know... but at the same time, he was sure he did, damn the consequences. Something about this Angelus fella didn't sit right with him. Being near the guy sent chills down the Captain's spine... and so did being near the man's cargo.

It was mostly normal luggage. A few bags, a trunk. But there was also a chest, one eerily similar to the one that Simon Tam had brought on board, the one that had contained River Tam.

Maybe...

No. Impossible. What were the chances? Mal had _l_ _àn_ luck, they all did, but surely it wasn't bad enough for them to get _two_ frozen people in chests.

Then again, their luck really did suck.

"Is there a problem, Captain Reynolds?"

The soft voice from a few feet away made Mal jump and whip around to face the man who'd asked the question. It was him. Angelus.

"No, it's nothing, Mr. Angelus," Mal said quickly, tearing his eyes away from the shadowy figure. _How was he so quiet? And he snuck up on me? I must be losing my touch..._

"Just Angel is fine," Angelus said, smiling a little in a somewhat self-deprecating manner.

Mal raised an eyebrow in amusement, knowing that making an effort to be friendly might get him more info on the man cloaked in darkness (no matter how much he internally said that he didn't need or want to know this man's business). "Angel? You got a halo hidden somewhere in all that black?"

Angel chuckled. "It's what my friends used to call me," he replied with a small shrug. "No one ever really teased me about it."

"Used to?" Mal inquired, locking on to the odd part of Angel's statement.

Angel's eyes darkened, and for a moment, Mal could see why no one ever teased this man about his name. "I haven't spoken to them in a long, long time," Angel murmured. "It's likely that they're dead. No, I know they're dead. At least the boys are. Probably. The girls... well, they're resourceful. They might have kept the boys alive. I'm just not sure about them. But one of them I know for sure is going to be fine."

Mal knew he shouldn't ask, but he couldn't stop himself from blurting out, "Which one?"

For a moment, the other man said nothing. Then he shook his head and whispered, "She's unkillable. She's not dead. She's just... asleep." He sighed heavily. "You ever want to do something you know you shouldn't?"

Mal snickered. "Have I ever. And let me tell you, it was not pretty when I inevitably did whatever the hell the thing was."

Angel smiled, but it was strained. "Yeah, I get that. Anyway, that's what it is. I haven't seen he in so long, but waking her up _now_ is... inadvisable."

 _Well_ that _wasn't forbidding at all._

"Why is that?" Mal asked, against his better judgement (again). "She some s _hénqí_ warrior or summat?"

Angel's smirk was far too amused for Mal's liking. "Surprisingly accurate. She's an excellent fighter. Gifted." He chuckled. "If she'd been in the war, whichever side she was on would have won, no question."

Mal shook his head in disbelief. "Now, I know women can be fierce. Zoe, my lieutenant? Prime example of a _qiángdà_ lady. Inara, too. But one person could not change the course of the entire war."

Angel shrugged. "Maybe I am putting her on a bit of a pedestal. Still, she could- who's best at hand-to-hand combat in your crew?"

"Prob'ly Jayne," Mal replied uncertainly.

Angel snorted. "That big _niǎo rén_? She could take him down easy, and she's five-foot-nothing."

Mal laughed aloud in disbelief. "You're kidding."

"Nope. She's done the same to countless others, and she's damn good with a crossbow. Doesn't like guns much, but she's amazing with them anyway. Give her a knife- hell, give her a wooden stake and she'll use it like she was born to." He smiled at the last bit, but it was sad, like an inside joke he hadn't heard in a long while. "She's amazing."

Mal knew that tone. "Your ex?" he asked knowledgeably.

The other man blinked. "In a manner of speaking," he said uncertainly. "We went out, for sure, but it was... complicated. And now..." His shoulders slumped. "Our families are gone. Our friends are gone. We parted, not on bad terms, but on shaky ground. Now that we're all we have left, I honestly don't know what's going to happen. But I highly doubt she'll still..." He trailed off.

"Still... what?" Mal asked in confusion.

Angel looked down. For a moment, he looked like a lost puppy, and Mal was suddenly fiercely glad that Kaylee wasn't around. "Still... love me."

Mal blinked. He hadn't taken Angel as the sort of guy to fuss over love. "Must be some girl."

Angel smiled, and something glinted in his eyes. "She is." He pushed himself away from the railing. "Maybe I'll introduce you to her. I'm hoping she'll wake up soon."

"She in a coma?"

"You could say that."

Those words, in that tone, automatically made Mal's eyes turn to the chest. A cold feeling settled in his stomach. "I'd get to meet her if she woke up soon, huh?"

Angel chuckled. He, too, was gazing at the chest. "Yeah, you would."

Mal sighed. _Why are all the people I get as passengers psychopaths?_

"You can't do that, sir," he said firmly. "I'm sorry, but I can't have more _dòngjié de_ bodies in cases on my ship!" He shook his head and began walking towards the steps. "She has to be woken up. _Now_."

"No!" Angel shouted, the sound echoing through the ship. "Not yet!"

But Mal was already racing downwards. His feet hit the floor and he took off towards the chest, picking up a crowbar to pry it open-

-only to be stopped by Angel landing on the floor in front of him, graceful and deadly. Mal was brought up short as the man took a fighting stance.

"You don't know what kind of mistake you're making, Malcolm Reynolds," Angel warned ominously. "It's not time yet."

"I can't know that for sure, can I?" Mal questioned, trying to remain calm. "How do I know you haven't kidnapped her? Keeping her in that chest for your own pleasure, you _j_ _iǎozhì húndàn_?"

"I don't care what you think of me," Angel growled, and Mal thought he saw the man's dark eyes flash yellow. "I really don't. All that matters is that she stays safe until it's time for her to come out."

"Captain? What's going on?"

Mal cursed. "Kaylee, it's okay. Just go back to your room, _m_ _èimei_."

"Mal?"

"Inara, _please_ -"

"You won't get this open," Angel said firmly, baring his teeth. "Not until-"

A hissing noise came from behind him. Everyone in the room turned to face the chest. Mal could hear heavy footfalls, indicating more company in the form of the rest of the crew, but he didn't care, because that _yīgè jìnǚ de de gāisǐ de érzi_ chest, the one that Angel was so insistent on not opening- was opening.

"What the hell..." came Jayne's gruff voice.

"Another one?" Wash muttered, the words carrying in the virtually silent room. "Jeez. We got a big ol' sign on our foreheads? 'We will carry frozen people! Got any frozen people? Come one, come all!'"

"Definitely," Simon said in response.

"Sir, why is Mr. Angelus' chest opening?" Zoe asked calmly.

River said nothing, which was incredibly strange. She had run in and stood, frozen, twenty feet away. Her eyes were wide and her breaths were heavy.

But it was Angel's murmur that caught Mal's attention.

" _Buffy._ "

The lone passenger rushed to the chest, taking off his long coat as he went and placing it over whatever was in the chest. Then- slowly, hesitantly- he lifted out its contents.

Gasps flew around the hold.

In Angel's arms lay a girl. Her modesty was preserved by the dark coat, but it did nothing to obscure the gorgeous blonde locks flowing about her face, nor her breathtaking features. The girl was a knockout. She was also very, very small.

And waking up.

The mystery girl took a sudden, deep breath. Eyes surrounded by delicate lashes fluttered open, revealing pools of greenish hazel.

"Angel?" she whispered. "Is that you?"

Angel smiled. "Yeah. It's me."

"So... it's true? Everything the Powers said..." Another shuddering breath. "It's all true?"

Angel nodded, smile slipping away. "I'm so sorry, Buffy."

The girl- Buffy- nodded. "I see." Then, louder, "You can put me down."

"You're still weak-"

"Now, please."

For a moment, Mal was certain that Angel would refuse. Then Buffy's feet were on the ground and she was adjusting Angel's coat around herself. Her hands were shaking, so Angel quickly did up the buttons before she could protest. Then he wrapped her in a hug, one that she immediately reciprocated.

" _T_ _ā mā de_ ," Jayne whimpered, noticing that despite the girl's small stature, her legs were long and slender. The coat hung on her in a way that hinted at what was underneath (and what was underneath had to be gorgeous) without showing anything whatsoever. Mal knew that this Buffy was Jayne's dream girl. He couldn't help but think that she might have been a Companion... or perhaps not, considering the way she looked at Angel. Perfect trust was written all over her face, along with grief and anger and love. No Companion would ever allow that much emotion to show through their façade.

Buffy pulled back from the hug first. She seemed to realize that she and Angel were in a foreign environment, surrounded by unknown people, and slipped immediately into a fighting stance with a speed and ease that shocked Mal. Moments before, she had been trembling too hard to do buttons up, but her body was steady in this position.

"Angel..." she said nervously.

"It's okay, Buffy," he said quickly. "They aren't enemies."

"They aren't friends, either," Buffy retorted. "That makes them unknowns, and unknowns can be dangerous."

"They aren't dangerous," Angel amended. "They're just the crew of this ship. We could take them, easy."

Jayne snorted. "I beg to differ. You may be big, boy, but you and that fine young _xìnggǎn xiǎo māo_ are most certainly outnumbered."

At Jayne's coarse language, Angel's face darkened, eyes flashing yellow once more. "Watch your tongue before it gets ripped out, _boy_ ," he spat back.

Buffy frowned. "Why? What did he say?"

"It's not-"

"I called you a sex kitten, sweet cheeks," Jayne interrupted, leering down at the blonde.

Buffy frowned. "Seriously?" She turned to Angel. "I don't like him."

"Couldn't agree more," Angel replied.

"You sure he's not a demon?"

"Nope. Completely human."

"Damn."

"I know."

"Excuse me," Book said. "What do you mean by 'demon'? I couldn't help but notice you sounded as though you were being serious." He chuckled, but his eyes were empty of humor.

Buffy looked the man up and down. "You a Watcher?"

"No. Just a shepherd," Book replied quickly.

Angel and Buffy exchanged doubtful looks.

"Yeah, sure, _shepherd_ ," Buffy scoffed. "Whatever floats your boat." She frowned, glancing about at her surroundings. "Or, y'know, spaceship." She then shrugged. "We asked if your pervy crew mate was a demon because you can never be too careful."

"But demons... they don't exist, no physically, not in this reality," Book said again, looking almost desperate for the two passengers to corroborate his hopeful claims.

Buffy shot him a sympathetic look. "We all wish that were true, but unfortunately, it's not. It's a constant battle to keep the forces of evil at bay. I don't know how travelers like yourselves could have missed it..."

"Well, demons have gotten better at hiding," Angel pointed out. "And the government covers some of it up. Don't want the people panicking."

"That, too," Buffy acknowledged. "Do they still have Slayers nowadays?" she asked Angel.

"I'm not really su-"

"Yes," River said, voice wavering. Everyone whirled around to face the small, shivering girl. "The Chosen Ones are few, but we are still here. We still fight."

Buffy sighed. "Oh, God..." she whispered. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"River," Mal's little albatross replied softly. "River Tam."

Buffy held out a hand to the girl. River was too far away to grasp it, but Mal could see what was going on. Buffy was accepting River. Into what, Mal wasn't sure. The only question now was if River would accept Buffy in return.

River glanced at Angel and her brow furrowed. "I don't understand," she said. "You are the queen of light. He belongs to the darkness. Why?"

Buffy smiled. "Look inside him, River," she replied. "He may reside in the dark, but he is of the light. It is within him, just as it is within you."

The younger girl stared at Angel for a long, tense moment. Then she relaxed, and a smile crossed her face. She eagerly skipped forward, threading her fingers through Buffy's.

"You two are the champions of the light," River cried, happiness in her voice. "You were lost, but now you are found. You have found each other, and you are not lost anymore." She laughed, and the sound was like summer rain, clear and sweet. "I am not alone anymore!"

Buffy hugged River, and Mal was astonished to see that she was crying. "Neither am I," she said, smiling through her tears.

Angel placed his hand on her shoulder. "You were never alone, Buffy," he murmured, the sound carrying through the hold. "I was there. I always will be."

For a moment, all was silent as Buffy embraced Angel as well, and the three oddest people on _Serenity_ seemed, for once, to belong.

"Well," Simon said, sounding rather gobsmacked. "Th-that's all well and good, but I'm afraid the rest of us have no idea what the hell is going on."

For once, Mal had to agree. This made no sense.

Mal _knew_ this was a bad idea...

But still, seeing River lookin' so happy, hugging the strangers who made as little sense as she did, Captain Reynolds couldn't help but smile.

 _End of Part 1_

* * *

 **YAY! I WROTE FIREFLY AND BUFFY FIC! WHEDON!VERSE ATTACK!**

 **That was fun. XD**

 **Now! To business.**

 **Question: will I continue this? Answer: probably not. However, it depends. If the mood hits, if inspiration clonks me on the head with a stake, then there is a slight possibility that I may add a part to this. VERY SLIGHT! NO GETTING HOPES UP! But if you want a second part, better let me know, otherwise I won't write one. _Capisce?_ Good.**

 **On to the next order of business: translations! Here are your translations, friends!**

 ** _g_ _āisǐ_ : goddamn**

 ** _x_ _iànjīn_ : cash, ready money**

 ** _q_ _ián_ : money**

 ** _l_ _àn_ : rotten**

 **s _hénqí_ : magical/mystical**

 ** _qiángdà_ : powerful, formidable**

 ** _dòngjié de_ : frozen**

 ** _j_ _iǎozhì húndàn_ : horny bastard**

 ** _m_ _èimei_ : younger sister**

 ** _yīgè jìnǚ de de gāisǐ de érzi_ : goddamn son of a whore's**

 ** _T_ _ā mā de_ : fuck**

 ** _xìnggǎn xiǎo māo_ : sex kitten**

 **Now that _that's_ been covered...**

 **The word of the day is TREPID! It means scared, basically. Yeah.**

 **RFF! XD**

 **Love ya! lulu**


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